Abstract

This project sought to examine the influence of the home environment, on learners’ acquisition of the English language. It examined four research questions, which were designed to explore the relationship between the home environment and learners’ acquisition of the English language.

Data was collected from level 300 students of the Faculty of Arts, the University of Buea through a questionnaire. The findings reveal that out of forty (40) respondents, only twenty-four (24) were able to pass the ENG 101 results with A-B Grade.

This might be due to the influence of pidgin and mother tongue, lack of positive parental influence at home, lack of students’ interest in the study of the language, the influence of home and quarter language which is mainly Pidgin English, French and mother tongue. Consequently, the acquisition level of the student is low.

Students should be given adequate motivation both at home and in school to learn English.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

English language which is seen as the world largest used language has suffered many Malapropisms (wrong use of words), mistakes in phonetics (pronunciation mistakes) and in syntax (ungrammatical construction).

In a country like Cameroon English is one of the official languages as and a language of instruction, users especially student and learners suppose to master the grammatical rules of the language.

In recent years, there has been rampant use of poor English language and performance in schools and among learners, in terms of conjugation and grammatical expression both written and spoken, when influences their learning outcomes.

In a society like Cameroon where there exists many other languages such as; The indigenous language and French language which is one of the official languages, their influence cannot be undermined as a contributing factor to the influence of the learners to acquire English in schools.

A home is a place where pupils live with their parents or guidance and it is the place where they are groomed. It is the place where the pupils begin to learn the norms and values of the society in which they find themselves.

A family is a social unit in any society and it is the source of early stimulation and experience the child at the most possible time of his life at a time when his mind is most receptive. It provides the first impression which may last through the whole of the

child’s life. The learners often see the parents, siblings and things in their immediate environment to be most significant and they are capable of promoting or diminishing him in self-worth and acquisition of English (Ekanem 2004).

The parent or guidance of these learners is responsible for providing the right that facilitates effective learning for their children. Also in learners home environment, some factors that influence their acquisition of English language include parental educational background, language, parental social, economic status, marital status and parental home location.

Observational studies of parent-child conversation (Broun and Hanlon, 1970) show that parents rarely reinforce correct grammar in a child’s speech, but instead, tend to focus on the truthfulness or accuracy of statements.

Considering this fuels, the inability of many learners to use English language well can be traced back from the home environment where the learners come from, language can begin effectively. How, therefore, should the home be involved in learners’ acquisition of English language?

Is the initiative of learners’ acquisition of English language basically the responsibility of the home environment? What role should the school play in the learners’ acquisition of English?

Should there be the cooperation of the home environment with the schools in bringing about a balanced level of learners acquisition of the English language? This study, therefore, seeks to find out the influence of the home on learners acquisition of the English language.

This chapter will examine the following: background of the study, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, research question and research hypothec significance of the study, delimitation and definition of terms.

Statement of the Problem

It has been observed that most students learning English cannot speak good English even on the school campus. Many of them could not conjugate good English sentences, could not pronounce well and their performance in the English language is very poor. Using the case level 300 student of Faculty of Arts in the University of Buea,

This study, therefore, sought to determine if the home environment influence learners acquisition of English.

Objectives of the Study

Main Objective

The study seeks to find out if the home has an influence on learners’ acquisition of the English language.

Specific Objectives

• To determine whether the non-use of the English language at home can influence learners’ acquisition of the English language.
• To know if the use of other languages such as: French, pidgin and mother tongue languages at home has an influence on learners’ acquisition of English language.
• To demonstrate if the socio- economic status of parents has an influence on learners acquisition of English language.

Research Questions

• What influence do the non- uses of the English language at home have on learners’ acquisition of English?
• What influence does the use of other languages such as French, pidgin and mother tongue language at home have on learners’ acquisition of English?
• How does the socio-economic status of the parents influence learners’ acquisition of English?

The Influence of Home Environment on Learners’ Acquisition of English Language: Case of Level 300 Students at the Faculty of Arts, University of Buea